One house completely destroyed by blaze

One home was destroyed Sunday afternoon in St. John's by a fire that also impacted two other homes on Petite Forte Drive.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is reporting that a Sunday afternoon fire damaged five homes in a St. John’s subdivision.

According to a news release issued today, two of the homes on Petite Forte suffered extensive damage, while the remaining three were only damaged moderately.

Police also report that two people inside one of the homes were taken to hospital to seek treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

---

(Earlier Story)

A fire damaged three homes in a St. John’s subdivision Sunday afternoon, with one of them destroyed completely.

The fire happened on Petite Forte Drive, which is located just west of Kelsey Drive. The St. John’s Regional Fire Department received a call from 911 at approximately 1:30 p.m. When trucks arrived at the scene, all three homes were on fire, with 50 Petite Forte fully engulfed in flames, according to Shift-Supt. Derek Chafe.

Fire crews initially concentrated on the homes situated on each side of house number 50. At 52 Petite Forte, Chafe said there was “a lot of structural damage in the roof area, because the fire did get into the attic.” Crews were forced to pull down the ceiling inside the home.

Chafe said one woman was taken to hospital for observation, otherwise there were no injuries. Two cats were reported missing, while two others were rescued from the basement apartment of 50 Petite Forte.

Recent comments

It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Greed, pure and simple. Council and councillors who allow these narrow lots should be held responsible. It's all about $$$$$$ and it's shameful.

this only goes to prove once again of home being built way too close together. money hungry land owners petitioning local governments too keep making smaller building lots to squeeze the most bang for the buck of their properties, while totally disregarding the safety of its occupants. building houses only 8 feet apart is likened to putting fuel next to a fire. stay tuned to the local news as there soon will be a major fatal fire to report.